Though Andrew Cuomo and Carl Paladino differ in political views, style, and level of crazy, they do have one key thing in common: being Italian. But even with that, former Staten Island BP Guy V. Molinari told the Times, "As Italians, they are very much the opposite of each other." Meaning Paladino doesn't wear his gold chains in the shower?
Cuomo credits his father, former governor Mario M. Cuomo, for breaking many of the Italian stereotypes in New York, and he is still sensitive to how he is portrayed. He accused a reporter of using an anti-Italian slur when he called Cuomo a "double espresso of a politician," and reportedly worried that if too many Italians were elected to the government "people will think we’re trying to open a pizza parlor." On the other side, Paladino embraces the personality what the Times calls the "street-smart, up-by-the-bootstraps Italian." Molinari clarifies, "I know these type of Italians; they are in my family. They all talk at once; nobody listens."
Both are attempting to woo the Italian-American vote, though Paladino seems more brash. He's spoken in Italian to the press, and even told an Italian reporter of Cuomo, "I don’t know, he might have been adopted." However, he's also compared Cuomo to everyone from Mario to Pinocchio. So much for staying away from ugly stereotypes.
